Dungeonology: The Expedition

⭐ 2/10

Players: 2–4
Playtime: approx. 90–120 minutes
Difficulty:
Medium (but the manual is "Boss Level")
Game type: Ameritrash / Exploration / Negative Interaction
Mechanics: area movement, hand management, take that, grid movement

🏰 What the Dungeon Hides

The box looked promising — atmospheric illustrations, gorgeous miniatures, and the promise of something entirely different: a dungeon crawler where you don't kill monsters, you... study them. As a Scholar sent by the University, you descend into dungeons full of beasts to gather data and compile a thesis. An academic adventure for 2-5 players, clocking in at 60-90 minutes. Sounds brilliant, right? Well — it sounds brilliant.

🎯 The Goal of the Game

You collect Information Cubes in five colors (ranging from white for 1 point to red for 5) and use them to assemble scientific papers for points. The winner is whoever racks up the most points before the room deck runs out or the alarm hits its limit. It sounds exciting — but the dungeon has plans of its own.

🛡️ How Does a Turn Work?

Each round consists of three phases:

1️⃣ Rest — you get 3 actions, repair equipment, and can buy something at the university shop (yes, there's a shop in the dungeon).

2️⃣ Submit Thesis — optionally turn in collected Information Dice for points. Once per turn, one thesis max.

3️⃣ Exploration — spend actions on movement, opening doors, and most importantly: stealth tests.

Sounds simple, right?

And yet it never works the way it should. The system restricts you at every step, rules have exceptions to exceptions, and the 40-page rulebook reads like a quantum physics textbook. This isn't strategy — it's a lottery in an academic dungeon. 🎲🏰

🔬 Stealth Tests — the Heart That Doesn't Beat

Theoretically the most important mechanic in the game. You have two modes:

📖 Study — safe, fewer dice, guaranteed reward. For the cautious.

🕵️ Espionage — risky, more dice, but Omega Students may appear (raising the alarm, dealing damage, stealing items). Classic push-your-luck.

You roll colored dice — each "complete" die (4 matching symbols) gives you an Information Die of that color. Incomplete? You get nothing.

Sounds exciting? In practice, it's pure frustration. Too much randomness, too little control, too little satisfaction. 😴

🗺️ Tiles — Adventure in Theory Only

A separate problem is the terrain tiles. They're not particularly pretty, they lack character, and worse — stairs to the next level don't always appear. As a result, you can get stuck on the opposite side of the board with no way to move sensibly. Instead of excitedly discovering new corners of the dungeon, you're reduced to deciphering symbols and rushing forward.

🧩 Why I Like This Game?

- The miniatures — genuinely gorgeous, some of the most beautiful I've ever seen

- The concept of "academics exploring dungeons" is original

💀 Why It's Not Ideal

- The game is overengineered — the concept sounds interesting, but the creators overdid it with the rules. A 40-page rulebook, exceptions to exceptions, illogical interactions

- Terrible balance — during our first game, one player was swimming in dice and calmly submitted their thesis, while another couldn't finish the game because they didn't have enough points for even one thesis. In a game about submitting academic papers.

- Tiles don't work — no stairs at crucial moments, you can get stuck on the board. Plus they're not pretty and lack atmosphere

- Player interaction is mostly negative (sabotage, stealing dice) — if you enjoy annoying others, that's the only element that works. The rest is boring

🏆 How to Win

- Choose Study instead of Espionage — safer, though more boring

- Manage your actions wisely — 3 per turn is less than you think

- Focus on collecting dice and don't let yourself get sabotaged

- Pray that you have enough points to submit at least one thesis 😅

- Or just be the player who sabotages everyone else — it's the only truly satisfying option

🧀 Cheesy Joke Corner

Why couldn't the Scholar submit their thesis?

Because there were no stairs to climb up on ;)

☕ Impressions

The game is very frustrating and boring. It might appeal to people who love negative interaction — sabotage, stealing, and making others' lives miserable. But even then, the mechanics can't support it. Casual gamers will find simpler games, adventure fans will bounce off the thin atmosphere, and euro gamers won't be convinced by the randomness. And beyond the beautiful miniatures, the art isn't impressive.

😅 My Lesson from the Dungeon

During our first playthrough, I watched as one player was swimming in dice and smiling as they submitted their thesis — while another sat with empty hands, unable to finish the game because the system simply wouldn't let them. This isn't "hard" — it's poorly balanced. I underestimated the "charm" of this game. Beautiful on the outside, empty on the inside. 🏰

⭐ Final Score: 2/10

An overengineered game with beautiful miniatures. Donated to a board game club — maybe it'll find one ;) fan there.

Game: Dungeonology: The Expedition, Publisher: Ares Games/Cranio Creations.